Sicario (2015)

[AimingforYoko]

Best movie I've seen this year. Everyone in the cast is on point, Emily Blunt, Benicio Del Toro, Josh Brolin and Daniel Kaluuya (in an understated role as Kate's partner and Jiminy Cricket).

Just be warned, it is dark. (Both in tone and literally).

Limited release 'til next week when it opens wide.

[Raja]

 It reminded me of a serious 70s movie, Traffik or perhaps that first season of Miami Vice in a look at the drug war. Perhaps like the Clancy book and more than the movie Clear and Present Danger the starting atrocity gave us a reason for the events

[thuganomics85]

For me, it also felt similar in some ways to FX's The Bridge (the setting and politics involving the border between Mexico and America), and the first season of True Detective, with all the cinematography, which was amazing.  And, of course, it was Roger Deakins a.k.a. the poor man who can never get an Oscar.

 

Anyway, I really enjoyed it a lot, but interestingly, after thinking about it, I realized that it was another one of those films that the screenplay was actually kind of predictable, but it still worked for me.  It wasn't breaking any ground or coming up with new ideas, but I just found the entire thing gripping.  I guess when you have an excellent director, a great cast, and everyone else behind the scenes are bringing the A-game, a formalic screenplay can work.

 

Emily Blunt really impressed me as the lead, and sold both Kate's toughness, but also showed her vulnerability when the time came for it, and made her compelling to watch. Benico Del Toro is one of those actors who I haven't seen much of lately (I pretty sure Guardians of the Galaxy was the last one), so I keep forgetting how great he is, and he showed it again here.  Josh Brolin seemed to be having a ball, although the character pretty much was made for him.  Daniel Kaluuya more then held his own with the A-listers.  Good supporting cast too, with the likes of Victor Garber, Jon Bernthal, Jeffery Donovan, and Maximiliano Hernández, appearing.

 

Only really big complaint I had is that I think they went a bit too long on the night-vision scene near the end.  Some times, less is more.  But they more then made up for it in other confrontations: especially the showdown at the border.

[SeanC]

Emily Blunt is an actress I've admired for a while, so it's nice to see her get a lead part, albeit a lead role that is very intentionally marginalized as the story goes on. Benicio del Toro gradually feels like he takes over the movie; I could see this getting him another Oscar nomination (evidently he can only be nominated for movies about the drug war).

 

The camera-work in this is amazing -- a number of sequences that are basically us following groups of vehicles driving around feel both tense and propulsive, and quite visually stylish.

[Raja]

I saw it as Benicio del Toro's movie, he was the title character. It wasn't the first time that someone besides the lead is pushed forward in the marketing

[SeanC]

It wasn't the first time that someone besides the lead is pushed forward in the marketing

Blunt being the lead is not a creation of the marketing.  She is clearly introduced as the main character and the audience POV.  She just fades out toward the end, where del Toro takes over.

[Samsnee]

It was well acted but felt too much been there done that for me. It felt like a really well produced Netflix or HBO series. The fact that I'm also enjoying Narcos on Netflix probably doesn't help.

I know Emily's character is getting kudos but I hated her. Sure she carried a gun but it was such a sexist stereotype. The uptight naive female who prevents the alpha male heroes from saving the day. She even needed saving herself from the corrupt cop. I'm still not 100% sure why she couldn't sign the papers at the end.

The corrupt Mexican cop scenes were also pointless beyond just setting up the final scene. You knew he was dead the minute he popped up.

[SeanC]

I know Emily's character is getting kudos but I hated her. Sure she carried a gun but it was such a sexist stereotype. The uptight naive female who prevents the alpha male heroes from saving the day. 

You're kind of meant to question the whole ethos of the war on drugs, and certainly not meant to regard del Toro and Brolin as "alpha male heroes".

 

As for her being a sexist stereotype, Villeneuve actually had to fight to cast a woman in the lead role.  The studio wanted to cast a man.

[Rick Kitchen]

It's funny to see Emily Blunt playing the kick ass roles now, and to know that Disney wants her for the next Mary Poppins.  :)

[Cobalt Stargazer]

You're kind of meant to question the whole ethos of the war on drugs, and certainly not meant to regard del Toro and Brolin as "alpha male heroes".

 

I just got back from seeing this, and I thought the same thing. Like Black Mass, Sicario tells a story where most of the good guys have allowed themselves to become corrupt. Josh Brolin's character may have started out with good intentions, and possibly the naive belief that he could throw in with a guy like Alejandro and not become sullied by it, but by the time we catch up with him he's just as much of a thug as the people he's supposed to be trying to stop. Because you can only wallow in the dirt for so long without getting filthy. Alejandro has the very slight excuse of

his wife and daughter being brutally murdered, but he's also using his skills to commit the same acts, like when he shoots the young cop in the back to wound the drug lord.

. Even Kate isn't entirely clean-handed, because by the time its over she knows who - and what - Alejandro is. Then again, she's not like him, so maybe its just as well that she didn't do what I thought she was going to do.

[callie lee 29]

Yeah, Blunt's character kinda annoyed me too. Not in that she was naive, or idealistic, or that she needed saving; it was that she was just so dumb in certain scenes. Example: you've just come back out of a smuggling tunnel, been shot at by someone on your team and have had almost 0% respect from the others, you're bing held down and popped in the eye from team leader and your partner/friend/only person you trust has a gun to his head by a Delta member and after your finally told what's going on (which really didn't seem that complicated to me), your response is "I'm going to tell everyone". Really? All throughout the movie she just made stupid responses like that. You're not picking up on a vibe from your colleagues, chick? They don't seem the type you should interrogate like a suspect.

[methodwriter85]

 

I know Emily's character is getting kudos but I hated her. Sure she carried a gun but it was such a sexist stereotype. The uptight naive female who prevents the alpha male heroes from saving the day.

 

I thought it was interesting that Emily Blunt, who is very attractive, was made to look as dowdy and as unsexual as possible. And that as soon as she tries to express her sexuality, she's choked and nearly killed. Although honestly, I really thought that they were going to have her go undercover and try to seduce her way through the cartel, because again, Emily Blunt is pretty hot. (And I'm saying that as a gay man.) It's interesting to see that they did everything they could to downplay her attractiveness, though.

 

I kind of wonder if the reason for that is the idea that if Emily had been seen as hot by the men in the movie, she couldn't have been seen as the surrogate daughter figure to Alejandro.

 

It was a good movie, but pretty depressing. I don't know if I'm going to be in the mood to watch it twice. If the awards season is weak, I think Benicio has a a good shot at an Oscar nom, especially since they'll push him as "supporting".

Edited October 18, 2015 by methodwriter85

[topanga]

Yeah, Blunt's character kinda annoyed me too. Not in that she was naive, or idealistic, or that she needed saving; it was that she was just so dumb in certain scenes. Example: you've just come back out of a smuggling tunnel, been shot at by someone on your team and have had almost 0% respect from the others, you're bing held down and popped in the eye from team leader and your partner/friend/only person you trust has a gun to his head by a Delta member and after your finally told what's going on (which really didn't seem that complicated to me), your response is "I'm going to tell everyone". Really? All throughout the movie she just made stupid responses like that. You're not picking up on a vibe from your colleagues, chick? They don't seem the type you should interrogate like a suspect.

I totally agree. It's the classic movie trope. "I know you're the bad guy, and I'm gonna tell everyone!" All while she's still at the mercy of said bad guy.

 

Or even before she went into the tunnel, when she and her partner Reggie found out that they had been tricked to work with the CIA, Reggie was ready to walk away. And Blunt's character insisted that she "HAD to know" what was going on. Well, she found out. And at the end, by signing the paperwork, she was forever linked to the scandal whether she was an active participant or not. 

 

The saddest (but not surprising) part was the scene in Mexico where Silvio's widow and son were watching the son's soccer game. And you could hear very close gun fighting in the background. Absolutely nothing had changed, even with the one drug lord being shot and killed. 

[blixie]

 

And Blunt's character insisted that she "HAD to know" what was going on.

 

I think she pretty much KNEW what was going on and wanted to stop it. I loved this movie and thought it was outstanding, particularly EB, I think it's because of her that Kate Macer comes of DECENT, not DUMB. She is yearning to make a real difference, and along comes her Boss offering her just that opportunity. I liked the moral complexity of her wanting very badly to get her man, badly enough to ignore all the obvious signs the operation was off books, that some how, by dint of will, she could use the apparatus of access to get things done RIGHT, but quickly realizing there really is no right way. Like Joshua learned in War Games, the only way to win is not to play. Good people like Kate will always be overwhelmed, and they'll either have to walk away or become what they claim to fight against like Alejandro and Matt.

 

I also loved how Villeneuve filmed the topography of battle of the borderlands, the overhead shots, I think he tends to make movies that are like snow globes, or bubbles of alternate moral realities, related to but isolated from actual reality. 

[Skyline]

I thought she was dumb in the tunnel scene. When she took off her helmet while bullets were going off in the background. That didn't make any sense. Other than that I liked her character. 

[Mu Shu]

Best movie I've seen this year. Everyone in the cast is on point, Emily Blunt, Benicio Del Toro, Josh Brolin and Daniel Kaluuya (in an understated role as Kate's partner and Jiminy Cricket).

Just be warned, it is dark. (Both in tone and literally).

Limited release 'til next week when it opens wide.

I just saw it. Benicio Del Toro and the cinematography are fantastic. The overpass scene will haunt me for a long time.

[BetterButter]

[topanga]

I’m in.

[SimoneS]

I just saw Sicario. I was surprised how much I loved it. The brutality and ruthlessness of the drug dealers are heartbreaking. I was so shocked by the bodies hanging from the bridge that I had to stop the movie and do a quick Google to find out if it was real or a movie creation. Imagine my horror that it was real. I was also shocked when Alejandro killed the wife and two sons. I wasn't thrilled with Emily Blunt's role, but learning that the role was originally written for a man, makes it better.  I thought her character started off tough and smart and then got stupid. I thought Daniel Kaluuya's character could have been given more to do. Too bad the film didn't get an Oscar recognition.

[SunnyBeBe]

If anyone remembers, can they tell me why in the scene near the end when the Del Torro character is sitting at the table with this big shot bad guy, and he is holding a gun on him and his two sons and wife, does the man taunt Del Torro character about having the man's daughter murdered.  His kids and wife are terrified, so why egg the guy on?  Why not placate him for at least the lives of your family, but, instead he infuriates him, so that he kills the family first? 

I only saw portion of it and am debating if it's worth starting over and watching from the start.  

[SimoneS]

On 5/28/2018 at 11:09 AM, SunnyBeBe said:

If anyone remembers, can they tell me why in the scene near the end when the Del Torro character is sitting at the table with this big shot bad guy, and he is holding a gun on him and his two sons and wife, does the man taunt Del Torro character about having the man's daughter murdered.  His kids and wife are terrified, so why egg the guy on?  Why not placate him for at least the lives of your family, but, instead he infuriates him, so that he kills the family first? 

I only saw portion of it and am debating if it's worth starting over and watching from the start.  

I just don't think that the drug lord thought for a second that Alejandro would kill his family. Hell, I didn't think it either. I was more shocked than he was when he did.

Edited June 3, 2018 by SimoneS

[SunnyBeBe]

Oh, I see.  It looked like his wife and kids thought that he would.  I just thought it was really odd that a man would keep pushing and taunting a guy with a gun who could kill your family at any moment.  I just thought that he might have let the man's family live and kill him, but, the guy took that off the table.